Heloise: Flashback hints still good

Tuesday

Jun 28, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Dear Readers: This week I'm featuring flashback columns. These hints were originally printed in 1996, but the information is still good today. Have fun reading them. - Heloise

Dear Heloise: Many times while walking through antiques stores, I have seen old family photos that no one has wanted because they have not been marked as to who the people were or what relation they were. This is so sad, because this family history is lost forever.

Now is the time to visit with grandparents and other relatives and offer to help them identify their pictures and tell about that person. This is quality time to spend with an elderly relative.

If you would like copies of photos, you do not need to pay high prices; you can copy them yourself. All you need is a camera and good light. Just lay the picture flat in good lighting, focus as close as you can and take the picture. Experiment, and you will be surprised at what good pictures you will get. - J.C.B., Lubbock

UPDATE: This hint still will work, but you also can scan them or use a digital camera or your cellphone to take a photo. If your family member will let you, take the photos to drugstores or discount stores that have a photo department, and you can use the store's equipment to make a copy.

One of my assistants has done lots of genealogical research and always stresses the fact that when older relatives pass on, so does the information they know. And if their photographs have not been labeled, that presents a problem.

Take the time to visit with older relatives and get any and all information, family history and photos that you can! - Heloise

Dear Heloise: Attach the end label of the 35 mm film box to the back of the camera. With so many types of film now available, it is difficult to always remember what type is in the camera. It will make for better prints, because you will be using the film to its full advantage. - Eleanor B., Keene, N.H.

UPDATE: I wondered if 35 mm film was still being manufactured. A large discount store and a camera shop said they still carry and develop 35 mm film. So, this is still a viable hint today. - Heloise

Dear Heloise: We changed the paint and draperies in one of our bedrooms, which made the queen-size bedspread obsolete. I put the two wrong sides of the quilted cotton spread in a vertical fold. After stitching around all four sides of top stitching, I have an ideal coverlet for a daybed or single bed. It makes a good substitute for a lightweight blanket. - Nancy G., Garnavillo, Iowa

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 210-HELOISE or email it to heloise@heloise.com.

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